Scaling an FMCG brand is no easy feat—it takes more than just demand; it requires strategy, flexibility, and strong operational foundations. In our latest roundtable, experts from Borough Broth, Scale 3PL, and Young Foodies shared real-world lessons on growing sustainably, choosing the right channels, impressing buyers, and preparing supply chains for scale. From tech stacks to packaging tweaks, their insights offer a grounded look at what it really takes to grow fast-moving brands without losing control—or sight of your values.
Meet the experts:
Phil Peters - Director of Supply Chain Services at YF
Ros Heathcote - Founder and Managing Director of Borough Broth Ltd
Udhi Silva - Co-Founder and CEO of Scale 3PL
Topics covered:
Is There a Good Time to Scale?
The Risks of Scaling Too Quickly
How Do You Choose the Right Channels?
How Do You Set Your Supply Chain to Scale?
How Do You Convince a Buyer You're a Safe Bet?
What Does a Scale Tech-Stack Look Like?
Can Niche Ingredients Block Things Up?
Going Global & Staying Green: Key Lessons for Growing Brands
Scaling Sustainably: Smart Logistics Over Silver Bullets
Today’s product businesses are fighting a battle on many fronts, with the lingering effects of high inflation, high raw materials costs, supply chain uncertainty and an expensive labour market. But with smart customer retention and sales tactics, combined with ruthless optimisation across the three biggest lines of spend – labour, inventory and production – small-to-medium firms can outperform both their peers and the larger players that dominate the market.
As ever we chat to four SME experts to unearth their methodologies to scale in these challenging times.
Darren Glanville – Country Manager for UK and EMEA with Fathom
Dr Neil Keegan – Manufacturing and Operations Specialist
Phil Oakley - Managing Director of Outserve
Thomas Laird – MD of Salt of the Earth Deodorants
What's discussed?
How to drive growth without increasing headcount? What’s the reality of bringing manufacturing in-house? How can manufacturers sustain peak production? How does inventory control help you scale? How do you drive sales in a high-cost economy? How can we avoid the pitfalls of overtrading?Join the following experts as we share the latest fulfilment thinking and practice:
Growing online retail sales puts increased pressure on the supply chain and fulfilment industry, forcing the entire supply chain to look for ways to optimise processes. Retailers, fulfilment partners, and suppliers alike must enhance operations to meet demand.
What's discussed when?
00:00 Introduction
07:57 KPIs
20:47 Monitoring Supplier Performance
33:53 UK Carrier Costs
42:58 Fulfillment Automation
49:52 Personalisation
54:27 Last-mile Innovations and Sustainability
1:02:30 Picking Accuracy
1:05:34 Returns and Exchanges
1:11:02 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
1:16:38 Advice for Supply Chain Professionals
Our deep dive sessions grant you exclusive access to a unique conversation with an admired brand or lesser-known trailblazer. A chance to go into detail with a customer. So indulge yourself; shut out the noise and focus in on one voice, one brand, one story.
In this episode: Josh has been at Good and Proper for over 7 years and not only heads up operations but also their sales arm. No mean feat. Time to sit up and pay attention. You’ve probably had a cup of Good and Proper tea if you’ve been to your local swanky cafe lately. 80% of their business is on-trade or foodservice. Of course, they have aspirations to get into retail, but right now that’s their focus.
Good & Proper are premium tea specialists, loved & served by the UK’s finest cafes, hotels, restaurants and workspaces, as well as a loyal and fast-growing community of tea drinkers at home. From their careful approach to sourcing to their commitment to sustainability, and of course the quality and flavour in every cup, this female-led team is on a mission to show the world how good tea can be, when it's done right.
What’s discussed?
Join the following experts as we share the latest sustainable thinking and practice:
Environmental and social sustainability have become staples of a successful modern firm in today’s business landscape. Investors and customers alike are demanding more transparency around how a company operates – making a sustainable supply chain essential to SMEs going forward.
What's discussed when:
2 mins - Brands we admire
6 mins - SME Challenges and opportunities
10 mins - What is ESG? - Richard
13 mins - Are you leveraging your business for good? - Emma
16 mins - TrueStart applying for B Corp status - Jess
19 mins - Where to start and Help staying abreast - Richard
28 mins - Does ESG box ticking go far enough? Emma
32 mins - How green is green energy? - Magnus
34 mins - Carbon Mapping and acting on it - Jess
37 mins - Growth and sustainability - Jess and Emma
41 mins - Measuring your carbon emissions - Scope 4! - Richard
45 mins - We need to be more ambitious - Emma and Richard
52 mins - Carbon Boarder Adjustments - The Emissions game
54 mins - The economic system - a mind shift is needed - Emma
57 mins - Greenshoring to crush your competition - Magnus
101 mins - How ‘local’ and ‘longevity’ is the answer - Emma
109 mins - Reverse logistics and waste innovation - Magnus
116 mins - Scope 3 – Help your suppliers help you - All
121 mins - Where to start? All
- Find your Inefficiencies - Jess and Magnus
- Focus on a root cause - Tony Chocoloney - Emma
Watch the full discussion or skim read the highlights here
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat
Our deep dive sessions grant you exclusive access to a unique conversation with an admired brand or lesser-known trailblazer. A chance to go into detail with a customer. So indulge yourself; shut out the noise and focus in on one voice, one brand, one story.
In this episode Unleashed's UK content lead Bryony Hampton is lucky enough to sit down with co-founder of Candy Kittens, Ed Williams. You may know CK via Jaimie Lang from Made in Chelsea fame. Ed is the yin to Jamie's yang. Hope you enjoy the chat.
What's discussed?
And what the poster says behind Ed? WALES IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Optimising your supply chain is a surefire way to create competitive advantage. But it's a broad, fast-moving topic, so we've recruited customers and partners to share best practice and help find ways to refine operations, inventory, purchasing, and distribution.
The bottom line is, if you're delivering products at lower costs with higher profit levels, you're succeeding. Easy peasy yeah?
The Experts:
Neil Keegan – Head of Manufacturing at Automata, robotic lab solutions in London
Sam Walker – Systems Architect at Flowstore Systems, Lean manufacturing, engineering, production line and warehouse bespoke solutions in Uxbridge
Alex Townson – Head of Outsourced Supply Chain at FY formally known as young foodies, an incubator and community for ambitious FMCG brands - in London
Hugh Robinson - Transition and Transformation Senior Manager at flinder (a technology and data-led finance partner)
What's discussed when:
6 mins - Demand planning best practice
19 mins - Bottlenecks in robotics , OTIFs, Hidden Factory
34 mins - bottlenecks in FMCG, managing lead times, mitigating risk, 'walking the line'
40 mins - Automata's pivot and nearshoring
47 mins - 3PM benefits
52 mins - Inventory placement and warehouse efficiencies
58 mins - Meeting customer expectations in the NHS and multichannel best practice
105 mins - Reducing cost, capturing cost, BOMs, COGS
108 mins - Performance, supplier analysis, component consolidation, pareto charts cut through,
119 mins - Contribution margin and unit economics
Watch or skim the highlights here
How do you quickly optimise min & max stock levels in Unleashed? And other videos
Inventory formulas & live inventory calculators
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat
While technology has been a focus in supply chain management for many years, in the end successful supply chains depended on people. In this eighth Unleashed Supply Chain Management Roundtable we speak to a collection of experts and industry professionals on their approach to the challenges of staffing and skills management.
The Experts:
Sergio Da Silva, Supply Chain Analyst, Flava Dot Global
Phil Peters, Head of Supply Chain Services at YF
Ned Neville-Rolfe, Head of Operations, Sapling Spirits
Chris Willcock, Head of Brewing and Supply Chain Operations, 4 Pines Brewing Co.
In this episode out panel discuss:
5 mins - What appeals about working in the manufacturing supply chain?
8 mins – State of the nation. What are your staffing challenges? South Africa, Australia and the UK
20 mins - Attracting the right talent and how being a B Corp helps.
27 mins – Is training a ‘magnanimous gesture’?
31 mins - What’s the right personality type for a role in supply chain management?
36 mins – How long should you hold on to someone having invested in training?
38 mins – The halo effect of carbon neutral strategies – i.e. how tree planting retains customers and staff
44 mins - How do you attract and retain millennials for supply chain roles?
49 mins - Are candidates arriving with the right skillset, could more be done at an educational level?
54 mins - What labour challenges are particular to a B Corp?
62 mins - South African brain drain.
64 - What are your top tips when moving to a successful digital workflow?
68 – 4 Pines maintaining agility after buy out.
70 – YF: consultancy, tech advice and how outsourcing your supply chain means you can redeploy your team on more ‘value-add' tasks.
73 - What are the challenges of retaining a highly skilled team?
74 - How do you better engage a larger remote workforce across multiple locations?
75 - What would you say to convince others to join the manufacturing supply chain?
Watch or skim the highlights here
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/scr-manufacturing-staff
Factory Automation – What It Is & How To Implement
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/factory-automation-what-it-is-how-to-implement
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat
https://engage.unleashedsoftware.com/book-a-chat-global
It would be fair to say the art of traditional demand forecasting has been tested over the last few years and what was a reasonably straight-forward process has many now scratching their heads.
More border regulations, macroeconomics, eCommerce growth and siloed data have contributed to muddying the waters. Failing to predict demand, or poor forecasting, can bloat inventory or create stock outs and dampen a brands’ confidence in their capacity to manage without stockpiles.
But getting demand forecasting right can lead to better supplier relationships, increased customer satisfaction, and more capital to grow and scale your business without the need for surplus stock as a buffer.
Join five SME manufacturing experts as they to unpack their approach to demand forecasting and share their challenges and best practice.
Scan the highlights here:
The Experts:
Nicki Hawkins - Cost Accountant & Head of Purchasing – Ribeye Boats, Premium Leisure Boats in Dartmouth, Devon
Mark Houghton - CEO Radical Cloud Solutions, our cloud solution specialist in Zimbabwe
Katherine Rowlatt - Head of Operations for AFP Services Ltd, Business Services for Food and Drinks Brands based in Kettering
John Toon - Senior Manager, Tech Advisory Lead, Beever and Struthers - Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors in Blackburn
James Trevelyan - Business Director at Circle One Surf Co near Exeter
In this episode, the panel discuss:
4 mins – Quick fire – What does demand forecasting me to you?
8 mins – Harnessing bottom-up data
15 mins – Katherine in ePOS data and human intervention
17 mins – Correlations between predictions and cash availability - John
20 mins – Mark on data accuracy
21 mins – This is a team sport, don't let the accountant take over
23 mins - Top-down curve balls
25 mins – James’s pre-season forecast musings
28 mins – Juggling long- and short-term planning
30 mins - Nicki: Keep challenging the numbers
33 mins – How are we shielding margins? Or are we?
39 mins – ALC and FX tips from John
41 mins – Small changes can have a big impact - Nicki
44 mins – NPD and Promotions
53 mins – Supplier relationships and China insights
61 mins - One piece of parting advice for those struggling with their demand forecasting
To watch the chat or scan the take-aways
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/scr-demand-forecasting
What is Demand Planning? [The Ultimate 2023 Guide]
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/what-is-demand-planning
Our latest Cash Flow and Over Stock Report
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/cash-flow-overstock-report
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat
https://engage.unleashedsoftware.com/book-a-chat-global
Product businesses are holding more stock than ever before, creating new cash flow problems for manufacturers. In our latest Supply Chain Roundtable, four supply chain experts share their advice on avoiding insolvency during turbulent times.
Scan the highlights here:
In this episode:
3 mins – Quick fire
8 mins – Cash being held up in stock
16 mins – Innovation off the bat of the current climate
18 mins – Production efficiencies
21 mins – Learnings from load shedding in South Africa
23 mins – Planning and Average Landed Costs
26 mins – Don’t be lonely, network and collaborate
32 mins – Credit and getting paid faster
40 mins – Supplier relationships, call-off orders
47 mins – Data driven supply chain
60 mins – How to improve business visibility
65 mins – Pricing and margins
72 mins – A year from now...
77 mins – New equipment considerations
Watch the roundtable or scan the take-aways
7 Ways to improve cashflow in a manufacturing business
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat
With economic conditions tightening product companies worldwide are focusing afresh on efficiencies and cost savings in their supply chains. For our latest Supply Chain Roundtable we asked four leading operations experts for advice on crafting a recession-ready supply chain strategy.
Scan the highlights here
In this episode, the panel discusses:
2 mins – One thing you should do differently
5 mins – Longer term planning, demand planning
9 mins – Being brutally honest with yourself
12 mins – Where should you focus your efforts as things slow?
15 mins – Life lessons from StockTrim’s founder
17 mins – Spreadsheet group therapy
20 mins – What can be automated and integrated?
22 mins – Take time out to troubleshoot the bigger picture
26 mins – Get set up right
28 mins – Beware the rigidity of Sage
31 mins – Recession as an opportunity
40 mins – DTC pearls of wisdom
To watch the chat or scan the take-aways
What is 3PL? A Complete Guide to Third-Party Logistics
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/what-is-3pl
The 12 Warehouse KPIs You Should Be Tracking Right Now
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/the-12-warehouse-kpis-you-should-be-tracking-right-now
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat
Net Zero is coming and it needn’t be daunting, although ambitious Net Zero goals set by the UK government have met with mixed responses from the UK business community – especially in the context of rising energy and raw materials prices. However, in this episode our 5 UK SME leaders share their Net Zero baby steps and quick wins – what they’re already doing and its effects on their business operations.
You can scan the take-ways here.
In this episode, the panel discusses:
3 mins – Returns initiatives and the positive impact on margins
8 mins – Beefeater’s historic efforts and learning from the past
11 mins – Sam on scope 3, 3PLs and energy innovation
15 mins – Byproducts and partnerships
23 mins – Supplier selection and Net Zero starting at home
26 mins – Borrow with pride - cleaner fuel, waste and bio ethanol
28 mins – Insect protein, fail fast and share your journey
To watch the table or scan the take-aways:
What were the highlights of the MAKE UK conference 2022?
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/what-were-the-highlights-of-the-make-uk-conference
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat:
For this episode we’re lucky enough to have supply chain expertise from four UK drinks manufacturers to decant (!) their learnings post Brexit. Over the last 24 months we’ve seen first-hand many businesses setting up operations and warehouses closer to their European customers in order to sidestep bureaucracy and charges. Have a listen to the additional advice that bubbled (!!) to the surface.
You can scan the take-ways here.
In this episode, the panel discusses:
4 mins – Brexit Impacts to Tarquin’s Gin supply chain
8 mins – Jenier Teas’ story
10 mins – The Turmeric Co’s story
16 mins – What are they doing with rising costs?
18 mins – Packaging availability
21 mins – One piece of practical advice when tackling Europe
To watch the chat or scan the take-aways:
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/roundtable-series-supply-chain-tactics-for-winning-in-europe
More from Good Culture Kombucha:
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/how-good-culture-kombucha-thrived-through-lockdowns-brexit
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat:
In this episode we ask our SME experts their techniques to maintain system agility when the business is scaling. How have they navigated category growth, keeping pace with retail commitments or dealing with social post going viral?
Scan the take-aways here.
In this episode the panel discusses:
1 min – How do you maintain system agility when scaling?
3 mins – European expansion
5 mins – New plant: Upsizing and relocating
7 mins – Localising supply chain
9 mins – keeping pace with demand
13 mins – Lean into your community
16 mins – Systems for scaling
To watch the chat or scan the take-aways:
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/roundtable-series-scaling-in-a-compromised-supply-chain
Read more about supply chain resilience and how to boost it:
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/supply-chain-resilience-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-boost-it
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat:
In this episode Unleashed's Bryony Hampton is joined by five food and beverage supply chain experts to discuss how they’re reducing risks and weathering supply chain disruption.
In this episode the panel discusses:
5 mins – What does supply chain resilience mean to you?
12 mins – Supply chain resilience for SME food and beverage product companies
20 mins – Top strategies for supply chain resilience
28 mins – Managing stock levels on your most important products
38 mins – Supply chain resilience planning
To watch the roundtable or scan the take-aways:
Read more about supply chain risk management:
https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/supply-chain-risk-management-in-2021-and-beyond
Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat:
